Have you ever heard of the FILD or the finger induced lucid dream?
There are so many lucid dreaming methods popping up nowadays. All thanks to Tiktok.
It’s true that it doesn’t matter which one you choose, as long as it works for you.
But there’s one technique that deserves more attention than it’s getting.
You may not even have heard of it. It’s also sometimes called the ‘Hagarts Technique’.
It deserves more hype because it works faster than most methods.
Do you want to know how FILD lucid dreaming works?
Let’s dive in!
Finger Induced Lucid Dreaming
Finger-induced lucid dreaming is a technique that lets you INSTANTLY jump into a lucid dream.
It’s slightly different from most other techniques because, with the FILD technique, you can actually induce a lucid dream directly, within about 5-30 seconds.
When it works, it happens FAST. The FILD technique is sometimes called the ‘Hagarts Technique’.
It’s a great technique to add to your collection and one that can be great fun when done properly! I’ll show you exactly how to do it in this little guide, so get comfortable!
Here’s how it works:
How Does The FILD Method Work?
To perform the FILD method, you need to be REALLY tired, and you direct your focus onto the movement (or intention to move) your fingers.
When done properly it allows you to fall asleep almost instantly, because you’re not distracted by thoughts as you sometimes are when trying the Wake Back To Bed.
Before we delve into the FILD method, let’s try to look at some other effective lucid dreaming techniques.
The Wake Back To Bed Method
The Wake Back To Bed lucid technique requires waking up very early and then falling back asleep. The chemicals in your system, along with REM sleep, allow you to effortlessly Lucid Dream. Let me explain a little further.
You will wake yourself up 2-3 hours earlier than normal by setting an alarm clock.
Set it for 5-6 a.m. if you regularly get up at 8.
When the alarm goes off, do not get out of bed; instead, switch off the alarm and check if your mind is awake and clear. Whenever possible, avoid moving your body, but force your thoughts to awaken.
Consider lucid dreaming and concentrate on the dream you wish to have.
Visualize it in your mind’s eye. The idea here is to just stir to turn off the alarm and then immediately return to your sleeping posture. But still, you must maintain your attention and awareness.
Let your body sleep but stay focused on the dreaming world.
You will enter a lucid dream way faster than if you used the wake-induced lucid dreaming technique.
When you are aiming for the REM period of your sleep, it is far more likely that you will have a Lucid dream.
Wake Induced Lucid Dreaming
The WILD (Wake induced lucid dream) lucid dreaming technique also involves keeping your mind awake while your body sleeps.
The WILD lucid dreaming technique, as the name implies, begins when you are awake.
Start approximately an hour before going to bed. Read a few articles about Lucid Dreaming, as well as some Lucid Dream tales or diary entries.
Examine your previous dream notes in your diary. Make sure you don’t eat, drink, or look at any digital media during this hour, including screens, Televisions, and phones.
This is the hour you will utilize to relax and clear your mind before going to bed. But, reading your dream notes will boost your chances of recognizing a dream sign and recognizing anything from a prior dream when you fall asleep.
Mnemonic-Induced Lucid Dreams
Dr. Steven Laberge developed the Mnemonic Induced Lucid Dreams (MILD) induction technique.
The approach is intended for beginners and assists in becoming self-aware in your dreams. Let’s have a look at how to do it!
Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD): This method involves training oneself to differentiate between dreams and reality while sleeping.
Subjects awaken after a period of sleep and repeat a form of the following phrase: “Next time I’m sleeping, I’ll recognize I’m dreaming.”
The visualizing process is NOT supposed to be a WILD. You’re basically conditioning your mind and making sure it’s ‘on your mind’ while you fall asleep. That’s all there is to it.
Don’t attempt to enter the dream this way. While you could, it’s a whole different technique.
Reality checks are essential and should be performed in conjunction with ANY induction strategy.
Lastly, make an effort to truly BELIEVE the affirmations you speak of. This can mean the difference between success and failure.
How To Perform The FILD Technique
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do the FILD technique.
1: Tire Yourself Out
Okay, so the first step is you need to be REALLY tired.
Get to a point where you’re really tired either by exercising and working a lot during the day or by setting an alarm to wake you up in the middle of the night.
You can actually try this when you would normally try a WBTB because that way, you’re also getting the REM sleep benefits of that time of the morning.
2: Imagine You’re playing the piano
Place your hand flat on the table or a flat surface in front of you, like this:
Now, lift your middle and index finger up and down separately to each other.
Almost like you’re playing a piano and playing two notes one after the other quickly, but never both at the same time. If it helps you can practice this on a keyboard by alternating between two keys.
Now that you’ve got the moment locked in your mind, try doing it on your computer keyboard, WITHOUT actually pressing the keys.
But, here’s the important part:
Press them JUST hard enough so that they dip down a little bit but not actually all the way down.
Now press even lighter than that so that you’re barely contracting the muscles, but you’re still sending a signal to your fingers that you want the to move. This is what you want to remember and do when you’re trying this technique in the morning. Okay, let’s move on..
3: Only Focus On Your Fingers
So now that you’ve got the movement down, you can go to sleep. Wake up when you’re going to be tired, so maybe in the middle of the night.
When you wake up, DON’T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING.
Literally only focus on your fingers, and perform the movements. Remember, you’re trying to only send the SIGNAL that you want the fingers to move, it doesn’t actually matter if they move or not.
Now, for roughly 30 seconds just move your fingers and only focus on the feeling of that movement.
- Don’t count how many times you move them
- Don’t focus on any thoughts
- Don’t open your eyes
- Let yourself just fall asleep
Then after about 30 seconds, do a simple reality check like trying to push your finger through your palm. We have a list of reality checks for you to get ideas.
4: If it didn’t work, try again in an hour
Now, if you did those things and then did a reality check and nothing happened, don’t keep trying. Go back to sleep and try again in an hour.
If this means you have to reset your alarm, so be it. Trying to stay awake doing reality checks and counting your finger movements will only make it more difficult. If it doesn’t work straight away, don’t keep trying because you’ll only wake yourself up more.
If it works, it should work within 5-30 seconds. Usually it happens within about 9 seconds. It’s fast!
Tips and warnings
Now you know how to perform the finger induced lucid dreaming technique. It’s a great one to have in the bag, because much like the WBTB it’s an ‘instant’ induction. Here are some tips and warnings for you to be aware of: (Click a button to unlock)[sociallocker id=1501]
- Don’t try more than twice – When you do your first reality check, THAT should induce the dream. If it doesn’t, try ONE more time then go back to sleep and try again in another hour.
- Don’t count anything – Don’t count how many times you move your fingers, or how many seconds it’s been since you started. This will only wake you up more and make it harder.
- Focus only on your fingers – Don’t think about anything, literally only concentrate on the feeling of your fingers.
- You need to be tired! Don’t try this unless you’re so tired that you could fall sleep anyway. If you’re awake or not tired enough it won’t work.[/sociallocker]
Check out my video of the finger induced lucid dreaming method:
Benefits
There is some evidence that lucid dreaming can be beneficial. The following may be aided by lucid dreaming.
Learn to overcome your nightmares
It’s normal to suffer nightmares every now and again. Yet, recurring dreams can induce worry and anxiety.
They are frequently connected with:
PTSD is an acronym for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
depression
anxiety
stress
Insomnia and other sleep disruptions
medication
usage of substances
Lucid dreaming may assist by allowing the dreamer to direct the dream. Furthermore, when a dreamer is aware that they are dreaming, they might realize that the nightmare is not real.
Lucid dreaming is usually applied in imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT). A therapist will assist you with reimagining a reoccurring nightmare with a better, more pleasant scenario during IRT.
IRT with lucid dreaming induction can assist enhance dream control when used with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
A 2017 research looked at this impact in 33 military veterans suffering from PTSD and frequent nightmares.
Some patients had CBT in conjunction with IRT, whereas others received CBT alone. CBT combined with IRT resulted in better dream control, which reduced nightmare-induced stress.
How to Awaken From A Lucid Dream
You might wish to wake up from a lucid dream every now and again. Lucid dreamers use any of these methods:
Talk Out Loud. It is thought that shouting in your sleep signals your brain that it is time to wake up. If you manage to talk out loud, you can startle yourself awake.
Blink. Blinking repeatedly may assist your mind in preparing to wake up.
Go to sleep in your dream. If you’re aware that you’re dreaming, go to sleep in your dream, so you can wake up in real life.
Read. In your dream, try to read a sign or a book. This may stimulate portions of your brain that aren’t used during REM sleep.
How To Use The FILD Method
Finger-induced lucid dreaming is a technique that lets you INSTANTLY jump into a lucid dream.
It’s slightly different from most other techniques because, with the FILD technique, you can actually induce a lucid dream directly, within about 5-30 seconds.
When it works, it happens FAST. The FILD technique is sometimes called the ‘Hagarts Technique’.
There are so many methods out there. We have the Wake Induced Lucid Dream or WILD, there’s the Wake Back To Bed, and the Mnemonically induced lucid dream or MILD.
It’s all up to you which method you will choose. In the en
